Encountering E-Learning Education

Image access from: http://www.darcynorman.net/images/electric_company_weblogs.png

This blog page is inspired by an article by David Huffaker called “Let Them Blog: Using Weblogs to Promote Literacy in K-12 Education”.

The increasing development of Internet technologies require teachers, parents and school to understand how online applications can be used to create “innovative strategies for learning environments” (Huffaker, 2005). Scholars have evaluated the Internet in light of computer mediated communication tools such as email, chat-rooms, instant messaging and multi-user domains (MUDs). But as Internet technologies continue to evolve scholars find “new ways to find creative learning solutions to enhance pedagogical method in education technology” (Huffaker, 2005). One of these innovations is weblogs, commonly referred to as blogs.

Blogs are a chronological series of journal entries and are a combination of text, images and multimedia. Blogs are not limited to isolated reflection and individual expression, but are commonly associated with an online community. This is achieved through blogging comments used create online dialogue within a blogging community (Huffaker, 2005). In this way blogs are distinctly different from personal web pages and utilise automatic software downloaded from the Internet. Consequently blogs are not only a “highly-personalised venue for self-expression” (Herring, Scheidt et al., 2004) but also function as part of an online community called a blogosphere.

Some of key blog features include:

 Weblog Posts: Including a subject title and a body message. These can be short statement or long thoughtful reflections.

Comments: Readers comment and respond to a blogpost.

Archives: Used for storing past blog posts in an accessible manner.

Templates: Allows pages to be developed from preexisting templates.

Blogs can be used as an educational technology in developing students’ literacy. Blogs incorporate verbal, visual and digital literacy through textual reading and writing accompanied by graphical expressions of emotions, images and multimedia (Huffaker, 2005). Additionally blogs provide students with opportunities for storytelling and collaboration. Storytelling is a natural and essential part of adolescent development (Bransford et al., 1999) and is significant in advancing literacy and language skills (Royokai et al., 2003). Blogs are essentially comprised of “stories, anecdotes or vignettes, similar to the types of oral and written stories people encounter every day” (Huffaker, 2005). 

Presently blogs are infiltrating classrooms exciting and innovative ways. Educators see blogs as a useful communication and teaching tool (Richardson, 2004). In the article, Huffaker describes how Mrs Dudiak a second grade teacher in Maryland USA uses blogs for writing assignments. Mrs Dudiak often provides students with a stimulus such as a photograph and then asks the class to write a description, story or piece of poetry on their blogs in response. Her students also use blogs to discuss literature online through blog postings. Mrs Dudiak’s use of blogs in primary education is a beautiful example of how blogs can be integrated into the classroom curriculum and can be adapted for a range of learning ages.

Huffaker also outlines concerns which need to be considered when incorporating blogs into classroom learning. These include issues of online privacy and setting an appropriate context for genuine and authentic learning to occur using this Internet technology.

Huffaker concludes by reiterating the immense educational benefits blogs provide a for teachers and students in promoting literacy. Blogs immerse students in reading and writing and text as well as “creation and interpretation of images and multimedia” (Huffaker, 2005). This collaborative process advances students’ verbal, visual and digital literacy.

Again I have been challenged to consider the role of technology education in the primary classroom. Weblogs are an excellent example of how teaching using technology eradicates static, one-dimensional, rudimentary learning tasks. Weblogs give students the opportunity to participate in collaborative, diverse, in-depth, inventive and constructive learning. Like all teaching tools, Weblogs must be used effectively to truly teach, engage and inspire students. Some important considerations that Huffaker highlights in the article are the blogosphere community, literacy concerns, innovative teaching practice and genuine self-expression.

Let me conclude with Huffaker’s resounding statement:

“Let them blog”

What a wonderfully simple idea! This computer-mediated communication medium is invaluable in providing students with immense literacy opportunities in self-expression and collaboration.

Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R.R. (Eds.). (1999). How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience and School.  (Expanded Edition ed.). Washington D.C.: National Academy Press. 

Herring, S. C., Scheidt, L. A., Bonus, S., & Wright, E. (2004). Bridging the gap: A genre analysis of weblogs. Paper preented at the 37th Hawai’i International Converence on System Sciences, Los Alamitos http://www.blogninja.com/DDGDD04.doc

Huffaker, D. (2005). Let Them Blog: Using Weblogs to Promote Literacy in K-12 Education. In L. T. W. Hin & R. Subramaniam (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Literacy in Technology at the K-12 Level. Hershey, PA: Idea Group. http://www.davehuffaker.com/papers/Huffaker2005_LetThemBlog.pdf

Richardson, W. (2004, Januar/February 2004). Blogging and RSS - The ”What’s It?” and “How To” of Powerful New Web Tools for Educators. Information Today, Inc., 11 http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/jan04/richardson.shtml  

Ryokai, K., Vaucelle, C., & Cassell, J. (2003). Virtual Peers as Partners in Storytelling and Literacy Learning. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 19(2), 195-208. http://gn.www.media.edu/groups/gn/publication/jcal_ryokai_vaucelle_cassell.final.doc.PDF  

Schroeder, R. (2003). Blogging Online Learning News and Research. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 7(2), 56-60. http://www.aln.org/publications/jaln/v7n2/pdf/v7n2_schroeder.pdf

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